Teaching bass....

[BrandonBass]

doesnt it suck, when u wanna teach bass and there just so little people keen on paying for formal lessons? From what I see, most of the population recieving lessons from music are kids of parents who wants them to develop some 'musical talent'.

Most popular instruments:

1. piano/keys - good solo instrument for showcase, and gives their kids the 'classy vibe'

2. guitar - the most 'mainstream' instrument, industry standard...and reasonably cheap for a low-end model. Easy to learn afew chords to strum and sing to

3. violin - like the piano, it gives off the classy vibe to the person playing it, but while its a great instrument for solo-ing, usually sounds much better with backing

4. Drums - while its popularity ranks below the likes of say piano or guitar, parents who want their kids to be learning something not-so generic might opt for the drums.

5. Bass - what is that???

Dont get me wrong, I love and appreciate bass as an instrument but its a shame that not many non-musicians 'get it' at all, and I do understand why. Im jus whining.

[bareass]

not to mention, no music school will hire a bass teacher, when they can hire a guitar teacher to do double duty.

[dave64o]

That sure seems true where I'm taking lessons. They have no dedicated bass teacher and, even though my instructor is primarily a bass player, he's listed as a guitar instructor (he's a hell of a guitarist too but he's even better on bass). In fact, I'm his only bass student right now, all the others are guitar. I'm also unaware of any other students taking bass lessons from any of the instructors there at this time.

Lucky for me he had an opening when I was available. I was taking lessons from one of their guitar teachers (a "double duty" guy) for a while and he's the one who suggested I move on to someone who's really a bass teacher, even though that meant he loses a student. Really glad he did, though. It was a nice of him to be more concerned with me becoming a better musician than he was about making money from me. The guy I'm studying under now is worth far more than the store is paying him!

[OPBASSMAN1994]

It's just more proof of the prevalence of the attitude that you don't have to know much to play bass, and that guitar is better because it's got more strings and uses chords, tapping, and crap like that, that bassists are just guitar failures, and that anyone who can play guitar can play bass. I HATE THAT MENTALITY!!!!!!

[OPBASSMAN1994]

I get so aggrivated when people call it a "guitar" too. Or when people ask "why does it have 4 strings?" or when people say "aren't you supposed to learn guitar first and then play bass?" Man, it just pisses me off!

[OPBASSMAN1994]

I'm sorry to be getting so angry, but you know, when you've got to vent, you've got to vent. Ughhhh....

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by OPBASSMAN1994

I get so aggrivated when people call it a "guitar" too.

It IS a guitar, so deal with it. If you have a better name for it....

The instrument with no name

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

doesnt it suck, when u wanna teach bass and there just so little people keen on paying for formal lessons? From what I see, most of the population recieving lessons from music are kids of parents who wants them to develop some 'musical talent'.

Most popular instruments:

1. piano/keys - good solo instrument for showcase, and gives their kids the 'classy vibe'

2. guitar - the most 'mainstream' instrument, industry standard...and reasonably cheap for a low-end model. Easy to learn afew chords to strum and sing to

3. violin - like the piano, it gives off the classy vibe to the person playing it, but while its a great instrument for solo-ing, usually sounds much better with backing

4. Drums - while its popularity ranks below the likes of say piano or guitar, parents who want their kids to be learning something not-so generic might opt for the drums.

5. Bass - what is that???

Dont get me wrong, I love and appreciate bass as an instrument but its a shame that not many non-musicians 'get it' at all, and I do understand why. Im jus whining.

I'm a musician -- a bassist in fact -- so I get it.

My kids are taking lessons on violin and cello. There are so many advantages over the electric bass for little kids. There are smaller instruments that they can play. All of the teachers have studied music at a post-secondary level. There are good solid teaching methods with graded repertoire. And the kids can relate to the music. They actually enjoy the music.

I'm talking about kids who are pretty young -- mine started out at ages 8 and 6, respectively. At that age, they hopefully haven't been brainwashed by Hanna Montana. They have no idea that classical music isn't "cool." They haven't joined social cliques that revolve around the music and apparel of their favorite genre.

By the time they figure out that they want to play rock, or metal, or whatever, they will already be able to "shred" at a level that few guitarists will ever approach. They can pick up the electric bass in a couple weeks, like I did, after starting out on cello.

Now, what is the bass? There is disagreement, even among bassists. Many bassists want the bass to be a support instrument that avoids the spotlight. Many bassists are opposed to classical training. In contrast, the violin community presents a consistent message that appeals to parents. "Class" is definitely not part of the appeal in a town like Madison.

As for guitar, I don't think it has a better image among parents of younger kids, unless we're talking about classical guitar.

[Mayers]

After a college degree in music this is what I think.

Piano, Cello, Violin, classical guitar are all classical instrument that have about 1000 years of history. Electric guitar and bass ??? around 70 years.

classical instrument take many years of dedication to master while who play electric guitar and bass learn by themselves and end playing pop-rock stuff for entertaining.

In the classical world you play very complicated stuff, you learn accademic stuff and history and on top of that jazz player are very very good.

Electric bass player think there is nothing better than Paul McCartney , James Jamerson and Jaco.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Mayers

After a college degree in music this is what I think.

Piano, Cello, Violin, classical guitar are all classical instrument that have about 1000 years of history. Electric guitar and bass ??? around 70 years.

classical instrument take many years of dedication to master while who play electric guitar and bass learn by themselves and end playing pop-rock stuff for entertaining.

In the classical world you play very complicated stuff, you learn accademic stuff and history and on top of that jazz player are very very good.

Electric bass player think there is nothing better than Paul McCartney , James Jamerson and Jaco.

the popularity of guitars/basses allowed for an acceleration of their evolution,and players have the benefit of a collected body of knowledge that would rival the classics.....however the sixties,a pivotal time in the instruments' history was also a time when tossing the rule book and learning without a teacher was very popular,and still is....it seems to be changing tho' and there is more quality material out there than ever,and judging by the input from a lot of pro players on here,quality teaching/teachers are becoming a sought after resource.....

[Fergie Fulton]

If you learn music you can learn any instrument. The instrument is just part of the mechanics that represent what you hear.
What you hear and how you represent it on an instrument is the key to being a good player of worth. It makes no real difference what instrument is used to learn music as the music need to come from within. Learning bass on a bass the temptation to become technique orientated is a very real problem rather than learning music.
Most players i know that are great bass players all came to bass after learning or being involved in music on other instruments. The point about its size is a good one as children will find it hard to use a bass. But you can give them foundation in music on other instruments better suited to their age and size. The real point is that they learn music and understand how to represent what they hear to the instrument in their hand.

The bass is generally a support instrument in arrangements in music. It has a descriptive use to imply large, serious, slow moving, power etc, in music. If you had to choose a instrument to portray an elephants movement then it is a bass instrument. A small fast paced animal comes from the other end of pitch. The same criteria applies in any instrument use, you have to engage a listener to the instrument...and the best way to do that is through the musical content.

These days with modern instrument that gap between support and solo is ever decreasing. In modern film the descriptive nature of a bass is very evident as a solo instrument. For me i first noticed it in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt. The use of bass in that film helps set the tone, set the action, set the tempo and much more. If anyone has never seen it, or maybe have seen it but have never noticed it, then give it a watch and listen. The use of bass is to me as iconic as the film.

[flacoclef]

Originally Posted by bareass

not to mention, no music school will hire a bass teacher, when they can hire a guitar teacher to do double duty.

It's a shame. I thought that was only in my culture. "If you play guitar, you play bass. That's a given"
It makes me mad!

[Etienned]

I started lessons a year ago; it took me about 3 months before that to find a dedicated and organized teacher. I can understand why so many are very little inclined to take classes.

I have several friends who tried to take both bass or guit lessons but the teaching actually left alot to be desired (assiduity, content, ability to teach and not only play, temper and attitude, etc.). There are so many guitards posing as bass teachers... And I'm not only referring to craiglist advertiser: a friend spent big bucks to subscribe to a formal school but his teacher gets impatient after 40 min.'cause he need his nicotine fix.

So my point is that its probably equally as hard to find students for a teacher as it is to find a teacher for an aspiring bassist.

Yet, I can't complain about my case; I love the lessons I'm taking and I feel, as a school teacher myself, that I have a very good music & bass teacher.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

the popularity of guitars/basses allowed for an acceleration of their evolution,and players have the benefit of a collected body of knowledge that would rival the classics.....however the sixties,a pivotal time in the instruments' history was also a time when tossing the rule book and learning without a teacher was very popular,and still is....it seems to be changing tho' and there is more quality material out there than ever,and judging by the input from a lot of pro players on here,quality teaching/teachers are becoming a sought after resource.....

I don't think tossing the rule book will ever lose popularity with teenagers. Many of the kids getting into guitar or electric bass are bright kids, and good students at school. Some are in the school band or orchestra. But playing guitar / bass gives them a chance to have some fun with it, outside of the formal setting.

It's not anti-intellectual, but merely anti-academic.